San Francisco 49ers Football Team

The San Francisco 49ers football team has had to make several changes to their tailgating policy after the trouble following the home game against the Raiders in the 2011 pre-season. After the game started, rival fans clashed in the parking lot resulting in two people being shot and one person severely beaten. It is still possible to tailgate, but the stadium officials have made some key changes to prevent such tragic events from occurring again.

Policy Changes

After the violence at the pre-season game, the San Francisco management made the following changes to their tailgating policies:

Fans of the San Francisco 49ers football team cannot tailgate in the parking lot once the game has started, because the attacks happened around 8 p.m. on game day, several hours after the end of the game. Any fans still in the parking lot after the game has started will be asked to either take their seats or leave the stadium property. This is strictly enforced regardless of which team you follow.

The stadium parking lots will open four hours ahead of game time. This is to stop fans from drinking too much before the game starts, as well as trying to reduce the amount of congestion around Candlestick Park before the game. Police will cite cars who try to tailgate outside the stadium parking lots before they are officially opened.

Tents or canopies can measure a maximum of eight feet squared. You must set them up and keep all your tailgating equipment entirely within the boundaries of your parking spot. The stadium allows SUVs or trucks, but security forces patrol the lots to make sure that no party spills over into another parking space.

Official Parties

Photo courtesy of anee.baba

If these restrictions turn you off tailgating before the game, the San Francisco 49ers football team also offers some great tailgating packages without the hassle of needing your own car or equipment:

Tailgate Party season membership — For an impressive $750 per season, you can access the 49s Tailgate Party at every single home game. This allows you to access a big outdoor party based between the Bud Light Plaza and the Verizon Gate, and you get live music and DJs as well as exclusive performances by the Gold Rush cheerleaders.

Tailgate Party Pavilions — By buying the Gold Plan, you have access to your own private VIP pavilion in the parking lots nearest to the stadium. You can rent these for birthdays, bachelor parties or to impress visiting clients. You get an all you can eat buffet and all you can drink bar, including alcoholic drinks, all inside your own tent complete with flat screen TVs. You’ll be required to purchase a minimum of 20 premium tickets to get a pavilion with premium seats starting around $250.

Tailgate Red Package — If you just want a great tailgate experience for one game of the San Francisco 49ers Football Team, you can get the Red Package along with a seat for around $150. You’ll be in a larger tent with other fans, and you’ll have access to an all-you-can-eat buffet including typical San Francisco tailgating fare such as carne asada.

Many fans of the San Francisco 49ers football team are still sensitive to the massive restrictions that stadium management has imposed since the fateful Raiders game. Visiting fans are much less welcome at tailgate parties, so you may find that you have to keep your party to yourselves. However, it’s worth checking the 49ers official forums to see if you can meet up with home fans to get the true 49ers tailgating experience.